Klaus Mikaelson Reentering the Building
by gonnahaveagreatday
Summary: Caroline and the witches she and Klaus know help bring him back, but with one problem. The Hollow was embedded in part of him. They need to cut that part out and bring him back, no matter what it takes. The catch is, they don't know which part. And the truth of it will change many things for Caroline and for Klaus's family.
1. Of Course

She wanted to honor his wishes. Mourn his death, wait until her own demise and then reunite with him. She was strong when she visited him in New Orleans, and this was the one time he didn't know something new happening with her since he was busy killing himself for his daughter. Elijah had gone with, and he'd be reunited with Hayley. That's at least a win for the hybrid mother. But Caroline thought she was stronger than this. She rented an apartment for a week, relishing the memories she'd made with Klaus and regretting that she didn't look back. Not getting one last kiss, or telling him flat out that she was in love with him. What was the point however, if he was just going to die? She didn't need ptsd flashbacks of her wedding night.

She thought she was stronger than this. Caroline knew she was going to outlive everyone she cared about, as no one else she loved would become a vampire. She'd watch her girls have grandkids and great-grandkids and great great grandkids, she'd watch over her friends' children and their children and their children's children. But everyone had someone. Elena had Damon, three kids and a thriving medical practice. Bonnie got Enzo back and they'd had a son recently. Alaric didn't feel the need to date or put himself out there romantically anymore since every one of his girlfriends had died. And Matt was another story. But forget about that...

Klaus Mikaelson was a thousand years old when he first met her, when he left this world with grey veins covering his face and body he was a thousand and twenty. She still saw Hope reminiscing about her father and looking through his things, two weeks after. She still got calls from Rebekah, wanting to talk about Klaus and all the wonderful thing he'd done over the centuries. Kol actually wanted to talk sometimes as well to brag about his wife and to brag about Klaus. A week later she had to ask them to stop calling and took a leave of absence from the school to not see Hope and all the reminders of Klaus.

That didn't help. She could've become a shut-in and still thought of everything she and Klaus had done together. So she went to New Orleans, Skyped with her daughters everyday, and Alaric agreed to give her space to mourn. It'd been a month. She'd lost two loves of her lives. A hundred years from now, she'd have no one that she knew when she was still human. Absolutely no one.

So she asked for sanctuary at the Mikaelson mansion. Everyone excluding Hope followed her back and was kind of following her every action; late nights remembering everything over and over about Klaus, the good and the bad. She went through his paintings and found a self-portrait of himself, very small. Went through his letters, went through all of his things just as Hope had done.

It wasn't enough.

Two months after living with the Mikaelsons, she went to the art walk everyday, to remember. She studied the painters while they worked, and realized she understood them now because of Klaus. Time slowing and speeding up, sadness and grief and pain and anguish filled every stroke of every brush.

Three months into living with Klaus's family. She was still in New Orleans and Klaus was still dead. Alaric was still giving her space, she still skyped the girls everyday. Then one night Kol told her the story of how he was resurrected. He'd said it almost off-hand, like it wasn't relevant to anything. But if Klaus still was needed by his family, Hope still needed her father and Caroline still had things to tell him, how was that story not relevant?

So she talked it over with Davina, conferred with Bonnie and asked for Freya's help. They all agreed Klaus would be able to come back, but only if the Hollow didn't come along with him. They all agreed Klaus needed to come back.

"You have to communicate with him on the other side to know if it's safe to just pull him out." Bonnie said.

"Can any one of us do that?" Caroline asked.

"Since it's the Original family, it's tricky. Normally there's a lot of options when you're talking to the dead and it's black magic or the magic that I have. With Klaus as old and feared as he was, the options just dwindle. But the one you might have a chance with is sending someone who's seen him on another plane before; otherwise he won't be able to see or hear you."

"I can do it." Davina volunteered. "I'd been dead before, and communicated with him on the other side. Course I was trying to kill him then, and he might have something to say about the tables turning."

Kol tried to stop her, as he thought he would never see her again when she first died, and the process to communicate with his big brother required her to be dead again. But Davina, according to Rebekah, had grown since she met the Mikaelsons. She was smarter, much more powerful, and knew exactly how important Klaus was.

Bonnie helped put Davina into a medically-induced coma, which they turned into Davina dead, in a circle of white powder Caroline had no idea what the name was. Candles, incantations, and Rebekah and Marcel came to watch.

"Can-can I enter the circle, get into Davina's mind?" Caroline asked Bonnie.

"I don't think that'd be wise." Bonnie replied.

"And if you try it anyway you'll be reunited with my brother sooner than you realize." Kol threatened, his arms crossed.

Caroline could then only hope Bonnie was right, that Davina could make contact with Klaus, talk to him and get all the details they needed to bring him back. On top of that, she hoped Davina would tell him that Caroline was at the head of this, and wouldn't give up.

* * *

Davina had seen this place before when she was dead. It looked like the real world except everything was foggy and in unnatural lighting. Wind and ominous voices, just like last time. But she didn't have to stay.

"Klaus?" She called out, walking down the empty sidewalk of New Orleans, discarded flyers and litter flying about and getting caught on her clothes. Then she saw the Mikaelson manor. She got into it and using her magic, unlocked the chains of the gate.

It took a minute for Klaus to come to her, trudging down the stairs and walking sullenly to the impatient witch.

"What do you want." He muttered.

"You look like hell." Davina replied. "Look, we have a plan, we want to get you out." Klaus's eyes lifted to hers, but with no light of hope, no fiendish smirk, nothing. "What happened to you?"

"Well, you realize I've killed my parents several times, and they're on this side. Let's just say they've gotten a fraction of the revenge they planned for me." Klaus explained, a small tone of humor in his voice that died as soon as he stopped talking.

"Inadu, the Hollow." Davina stated. His eyes lifted to hers again. "Do you know if she's still with you?"

"Every minute of every day, dear sister in-law. True, the Hollow cannot use me to do more than wreak havoc on a load of the deceased, but when she isn't doing that, she does other things to ensure she's still active inside me."

"And do you see her? In the mirror, in your eyes, just in front of you with no reflections around?" Davina asked. Klaus looked away, considering.

"Some of the time. Mostly she just whispers to me." He replied. Davina looked around.

"Where's Elijah?" She asked. Klaus lightened a bit, smiling but still avoiding her gaze.

"Hope told him of Hayley before the Hollow was transferred into me. She's at peace, with her family. And Elijah spends most of his time dancing with her." He shrugged "He is coming back to see me in a day or two however." She nodded

"I'm going to have to talk this over with everyone else, but we are going to bring you back." Davina stated with determination. Klaus looked at her in surprise.

"Who's everyone?" He asked. Davina smiled

"Caroline, for one. She banded us all together because none of us could say goodbye."

"It's only been, what..." Klaus drifted off, thinking

"It's been six months for us." Davina said. He glanced back at her. "How long has it been for you?"

"As it seems with all other-worldly things, time is slower here. It's felt like decades already for me." Klaus replied. Davina nodded again.

"Caroline's leading all the witches you and she knew, we've gotten this far."

"Wait, does that mean Hope as well?" Klaus asked, panic suddenly overcoming his features.

"Well, yeah. Except she's not actually with us right now, she's still in Mystic Falls."

"Tell her to stay out of this. I do not want her anywhere near the Hollow, no matter what. If she continues to help I will make it impossible for you all...you shouldn't even be here." He looked away. "I deserve to stay here, as penance for my many sins."

"As much as I would've liked to agree with you a few years ago, you're wrong." Davina said. Klaus stared at her.

"Hope and Caroline are falling apart without you. Your family, is falling apart. Hope still needs her father." She replied.

"She has others in my place. I've only been her father for a handful of years in her life, she'll become stronger without me."

"Do you really want to take the chance that you're wrong about that?" She asked.

"I'm taking no chances, Davina Clare. I will not risk endangering my daughter from the selfish need to get out of this hell. I prefer to stay here." Klaus replied, walking away.

"Klaus." Davina called to him as he rounded a corner. She ran after him "Klaus!"

But he was gone.

She looked down at the pendant Bonnie gave her to bring herself back and stroked it, saying the incantation required, then gulped in a lungful of air.

Cement. Candles. Actual living people, flocked to hover over her, including Caroline.

"Where is he, is he okay, is he hurt?" Caroline asked hurriedly.

"He's in the other-side manor, and he's far from okay." Davina replied, sitting up in the circle. Bonnie broke the bond of the circle carefully and Kol dove in to embrace his wife.

"How do you mean, far from alright?" Rebekah asked, Kol pulling Davina to her feet.

"Think about it, Rebekah. Everyone he's ever killed is on the other side."

"Including our parents." Rebekah realized. Marcel held her in comfort.

"Well, what did he say to us bringing him back?" Caroline asked.

"Against it. Didn't want Hope involved in any way. If he finds out she still is, he said he's going to make it harder for us to pull him out."

"Obviously, bloody nobleman." Rebekah muttered, sniffling into her husband's shoulder.

"I told him you were helping, Caroline." Davina said, turning to the blonde. Caroline stared back at her, then looked away, running her fingers through her hair to think.

"Okay, we can try to pull this off without Hope. If not, Klaus doesn't need to know she's involved. Is the Hollow still attached to him?" She asked

"Very attached. It looked like she was draining his energy from him." Davina replied.

"What way was he able to see her?" Bonnie asked.

"Reflections, sometimes not reflections. There's Mikael who was his tormentor, then Inadu. She might even be worse than Mikael."

"Let's not be foolish now." Rebekah muttered, wiping her blonde hair from her face.

"Okay, so the Hollow is in Klaus's four parts. His magic side, werewolf side, vampire side and human side." Bonnie said. Caroline looked at her best friend.

"What does that mean?" She asked

"We have to corral the Hollow into one part of Klaus, then cut that part from him. He comes back, he'll be missing a part of himself like it's a lost limb. Who knows if we'd be able to get it back, either. Without the Hollow using it as a gateway back into our world."

"We'll do whatever it takes." Caroline decided, crossing her arms and looking at the circle Davina still stood in. "We are bringing Klaus Mikaelson back." She looked at everyone in the room. "I'm willing to take this to the end. Till death. Although someone's gonna have to resurrect me." She smiled at her own nervous joke. "I'd understand if you guys aren't as committed to this as I am."

"I definitely, want my big brother back." Rebekah said without hesitation. She stared ahead at Caroline, and Marcel switched his stance.

"I want my mentor and father back. New Orleans wouldn't be the same without him." Marcel said, smiling nervously as well.

"Klaus Mikaelson is Hope's father, and she needs someone who's like her to guide her through all those difficult stages of her life. Not to mention all the good he's capable of doing outside of that." Davina said. Kol tightened his grip on his wife.

"I'd like my big brother back as well. My wife stays alive, Hope gets her father back, and our family is a secure again." Kol said.

"I'd have to actually be there to help, of course. But when the baby comes and Keelin is safe, I want my little brother to see our baby. Hope still misses her father terribly, even if she doesn't show it. Not having one parent in her life with tear a hole in her, I'm sure of it." Freya said over the phone propped up so everyone could see her.

"Yes, Hope definitely needs her dad back." Keelin agreed out of the camera's sight, but still loud enough for most in the room to hear. Everyone looked to Bonnie.

"I'm here for Caroline and Hope. If this ends up hurting Enzo, I'm out. But for right now, I'll go as far as you will." Bonnie said. Caroline nodded and smiled with understanding.

"Looks like we're off on a secret little mission." Kol announced.


	2. Everything Will

They prepared everything they needed in a matter of days. The ash from the white oak stake was found, every person who had the ability to contact Klaus lined up before them, ready to step in. Caroline loved how in sync these plans were. It was like the universe was conspiring to give them the second-most powerful being in the world back.

Davina visited with Klaus a few more times before she couldn't cross over anymore and Kol threatened bodily harm to anyone who tried to force the issue. After Davina, according to both Bonnie and Freya, the next person they'd be able to use in the ritual was Vincent. And he'd just arrived back in New Orleans days ago. Him visiting Klaus would give him the opportunity to see Ivy as well, and he'd agreed.

* * *

Ivy was at peace, with her ancestral roots and the witches of her family. Vincent's wife and child were there as well; as calm and happy as they had been before all this craziness happened. He nearly didn't go back.

But he made a deal with the vampire Caroline. Klaus Mikaelson was very important to the structure of the supernatural community, and to his daughter.

Vincent was told where Klaus would be, and that he might have to talk to him like a wounded animal. Which was fine. He'd always done it that way.

Klaus was hiding in his room when the witch found him. He drew him out to the hallway and let Klaus sink to the floor, huddled against the wall. He'd been told how the Hollow ravaged him even though they were on the other side. Inadu must not be strong enough anymore to create a form for herself so she's taking it out on the hybrid. Klaus looked to have aged twenty years since he last saw him. His hair was longer, messier, much more facial hair. And his chin trembled, it seemed, almost involuntarily.

Bonnie, Freya and Davina had made a potion Klaus would be able to drink, that would corral the Hollow into one part of his being. They didn't know which part, anymore than Vincent did. But this was the last dose of it. Klaus looked up at Vincent who had brought a small vile of the potion out from his jacket and uncorked it.

"No" He managed, shaking as he tried to flee back into his room "No!" He yelled

"The Hollow will be exiled here, by the time the magic in this potion works on you." Vincent said. Klaus threw open his door and fell against it, looking up at the witch with a slight hope. "She won't be able to turn you into a mess of a wolf anymore when we're done, and she knows it." Vincent pulled out Klaus's hand and pressed the vile into it, wrapping the hybrid's fingers around it. "You gotta hold on just a little longer, then we'll be able to drag you outta here."

Vincent crouched before the hybrid, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"You got some girl willing to call all the troops out just to bring your butt back home." He said. Klaus stared at him and looked away. Vincent stood and prepared to go.

"Wait" Klaus called, though the man was only a step or two away. Vincent turned back and found the hybrid staring up at him.

"Tell...Caroline..." He said shakily "Tell Caroline...she already knows. But tell her anyway."

"Tell her what, man?" Vincent asked

"What you felt for your wife, and your child, before they were taken." Klaus replied. "What you were beginning to feel for the oracle Ivy."

"Just tell me to say you love her, Klaus. It ain't that hard." Vincent replied humorously.

"It appears you don't know all there is to know about the Hollow, Vincent." Klaus replied shakily. "It never felt, what you felt. That word isn't in her vocabulary. And so she's forbidden it from mine."

"That's weird."

Vincent touched the pendant and said the incantation a safe distance from Klaus, sitting up immediately in the circle. Caroline's team had grown since she first started with Davina, now all of Klaus's family, and all of Caroline's were there to help. Along with other witches and valuable resources only Freya and the Bennet witch would've been able to find. Every one of their curious eyes were on him.

"I gave him the vial." He stated plainly.

"Did you watch him drink it?" Bonnie asked. He looked away. "Last time Davina gave him a vial we had to make more because he smashed it against the wall."

"Where the hell is Elijah, anyway? Shouldn't he be watching over his little brother, 'always and forever'?" Vincent demanded.

"Elijah's found peace with Hayley." Rebekah said. "He rarely comes to see Klaus now. And when he does Klaus puts on a good show, pretends like he's just fine. Elijah doesn't know the trouble Klaus is in."

"Well he's going to find out when Klaus is suddenly gone." Caroline cut in, hands on her hips.

"Our brother knows that Klaus is still needed here, Caroline. When he learns Klaus is back, he won't try to follow." Rebekah assured her.

"We just have to have faith in the guy, that he's got enough strength left to fight back just a little more." Vincent said. "It won't be long now."

"We can't take the chance Inadu will come back through Klaus, we need to make sure." Freya stated.

"Someone will need to be there with him before the ritual begins, then." Marcel concluded

"I'll do it." Davina piped up. "I've gotten my strength back. And if Kol tries to hurt any of you just tell him it was my choice." She turned to Freya. "How long will it be before I go back under?" She asked

"A day. If Klaus took the vial, the ingredients will need twenty four hours to work fully. Then we separate a part of him from himself. And when you confirm it's done, we bring him back." Freya said.

The group began to dissipate, going to the rooms they'd chosen for the long ride, the only remaining ones still standing there were Bonnie and Caroline. Bonnie broke the circle and Vincent was able to leave it. Caroline turned to go.

"Wait." He called. She turned back to him. "Klaus, told me to give you a message." He said. Caroline faced the witch fully, a sadness and hope filled her eyes.

"He said to tell me he loved me." Caroline grinned, the first smile to light up her face that Vincent had ever seen.

"Not in so many words, but yeah. He's grateful to you Caroline, for getting him out of there. And just between you and me, I don't think the guy needs to be down there anymore. He looked absolutely wrecked, and the only thing he was able to manage saying was your name." Vincent said. Caroline smiled.

"Let's get the big bad wolf back." Caroline said happily.

* * *

Vincent had visited him and already that felt like a lifetime ago. He'd stopped asking how long it had been as the time seemed even slower now, and even with the new knowledge, Inadu wouldn't let him rest.

Elijah was happy, in love, at peace with his soulmate. His big brother, his confidant, the one man he always had faith in. Now he wouldn't ever see him again at some point.

Hope was alive, and he hoped she was content in her life, able to carry on without both of her parents. He'd been able to do so when such horrible things happened to him. Although, he knew others would tell him not to give his daughter her father to compare herself to.

Caroline was being incredibly stubborn. She had said goodbye, she had kissed him just like he'd wished for for a long decade before, and yet she was dragging him back to life over shards of broken glass.

 _She obviously doesn't love you in return, then. It's that simple._

 _If she loved you, she never would've said goodbye in the first place. If she loved you, she wouldn't put you through so much pain._

 _She's bringing you back to make your daughter watch as she slowly kills you again._

 _And I thought I was the evil one._

Klaus smacked his head as if that would make Inadu fly from it. The whispers were so strong now, louder than his countering whispers, louder than even Elijah's voice the once in a blue moon when he actually visited. Inadu was wiping him from existence. There would be nothing left of him when someone came to find him again.

His grip tightened on the vial Vincent forced into his hand and heard a snap. He gasped and inspected it, relieved it hadn't broken. Inadu.

He downed the vial like a shot of bourbon and his head burned, like it always did when he took it.

 _YOU HAVE NO RIGHT FILTHY HALF-BREED_

 _NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU ANYMORE, BOY!_

 _YOUR DAUGHTER IS BETTER OFF WITHOUT A MONSTER AS HER FATHER_

 _YOU ONLY HURT, MAIM AND TORTURE THE ONES YOU CARE FOR_

 _YOU DON'T DESERVE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS! YOU NEVER DID!_

 _ROT IN HELL, FILTHY HALF-BREED!_

Klaus gripped the sides of his skull with such tremendous force, stamped his feet against the dusty floor and screamed in pain. Roared in anger. Shrieked in anguish. It went on for hours, until Inadu shut up. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall.


	3. Be Alright

She didn't sleep last night. Even though she felt completely safe here, even though she was sure she would be bringing Klaus back today. Even though after the hard labor yesterday made her bed feel like a cloud of pillows and blankets. Because she knew one thing would keep Klaus and her apart for even longer. Not his selves, not her potential danger in proximity to him. It was because now that she'd look in those beautiful, deep ancient eyes again, she wished she'd never said goodbye in the first place. She told him everything she thought he needed to hear, and took a souvenir. She'd tried to wash her hands of the love of her immortal life, and there had to be consequences to that.

Everyone who helped for the past two weeks had a specific job in helping Klaus after he was brought back. Rebekah brought a change of clothes. Marcel would tend to his father if need be; helping him walk, stand, eat. And help him get back to fighting speed when he was strong enough. Vincent and Bonnie would double check to make sure no trace of the Hollow was left inside him. Others made up his room, prepared a confinement in case he needed to blow off some steam so he wouldn't hurt others. Caroline wanted Klaus Mikaelson recuperated as gently and safely as possible. And so it was.

So many people stayed in this manor now, seemed like at least two families, or three. Every room was occupied, every room was always in use. Bathroom breaks were a nightmare. Save for last night, everyone had worked around the clock to check and double check all the necessary ingredients, follow the rules to the letter, have every requirement acquired and ready at a moment's notice. Freya was one of the most vigilant, when she wasn't also tending to her pregnant wife. Keelin would have a baby soon, as well. And not one that was magically put in her womb without her permission either.

When Klaus was alive, she'd tell Rick. Not that she owed him any favors, he knew what Klaus meant to her and didn't offer any condolences when she was just grieving. Elena had sent her a letter when she was in one of the New Orleans apartments, going into detail about how truly sorry she was. Every word both made her feel better that her best friend wouldn't just yell at her for having feelings for someone that caused so much heartache in Elena's family, and made her feel worse. Elena knew what it was like to lose her soulmate and not think she'd ever see him again. Caroline didn't want to erase her memories of Klaus, however. They were the few good ones save her children, that she replayed a lot.

When Klaus was alive, Caroline would tell him everything that was in her heart, whether he wanted to listen or not. She couldn't take keeping the secret anymore. And writing it over and over in that stupid journal did nothing but amplify her feelings. She'd help raise Hope if Klaus would have her, she'd be Klaus's for the rest of her life. If he would have her.

Bonnie was already at the site where they'd planned to bring him back. Usually Caroline was the first one there, though she couldn't do much in the way of helping magic-wise. Bonnie crushed a bunch of leaves into a powder, had a few candles lit, drew a blood circle. Enzo would be there soon to be there for his wife and make sure no harm came to her. Also to watch the most feared being in supernatural history rise from the dead.

When Freya joined Bonnie at the table of ingredients, they began chanting. ' _hoc corpus referre animus hanc, hoc corpus animus hanc...'  
_ Caroline fought the urge to shiver and rubbed her bare arms instead, deciding to go find a jacket in her room. Things wouldn't be getting started until Davina and Vincent were also there.

The fact that Davina was fighting so hard for Klaus, despite everything Rebekah told her that their family had done to her, made Caroline proud. People do change. And others see that sometimes. Davina the underage witch with the world on her shoulders, falling in love with a formerly-psychotic original vampire, was one of them.

Caroline passed a few of the people she'd compelled to stay here while she went to retrieve her jacket. A human in particular, whose blood was important towards the process. And not gallons of blood, just little trickles added to the already massive mix.

A werewolf traced back to Klaus's father's pack was there also. And not against her will. Morgan had sought them out, and volunteered her services. Although Caroline didn't know what exactly Morgan was hoping Klaus would be, she knew she wasn't going to refuse outright free help form a valuable source.

Hope came back to her family's home yesterday. By the time Klaus realized Hope had still helped them, it would be too late for him to interfere with them. She was treated like royalty, which she hated. So Hope stayed in her room until she was needed.

Her black jacket she'd kept glued to her skin all the time at the Salvatore school and when she was with Klaus again, covered her and made her feel more secure. This wasn't just a circus of people who had no clue what evil they were dredging from the other side. They were bringing back the backbone of the Mikaelson family. The most powerful witch in the world's father. They were bringing back Niklaus bloody Mikaelson.

 _" **hoc corpus referre animus hanc, hoc corpus animus hanc...** " _The chanting grew louder as Davina and Vincent's voices added to it. Caroline hurried back to the group. Freya painted a symbol on Davina's forehead to protect her from the Hollow, in case the evil little demon would try a last-ditch effort to jump into someone else or just hurt them. Hope came from her room, joined the witches, and Davina's chanting faded from the four voices, Hope's muttering seeming to be the most powerful. _  
_

Someone had already laid a circle of white powder on the floor before the table, large enough for Davina to lay down in. She tried to become comfortable in her position, and breathed deeply.

"You'll be fine, Davina. The symbol will protect you." Freya assured.

"You have nothing to worry about, you only need to be there for a few minutes." Bonnie agreed.

Kol not being there was partly because of Davina. She'd sent him to their home to pick up useless artifacts and cursed objects Kol was led to believe would help make Klaus's resurrection easier and safer for everyone around him. He'd only gone the day before, but Davina worried he would be back before she was out.

Caroline walked to the edge of the circle that surrounded Davina and locked eyes with the young witch.

"Kol won't be back yet, Davina. And he'll respect your wishes if he does, you know that." Caroline said. Davina began to smile at her, and Caroline could nearly see the stress dissipate from her body.

 _" **hoc corpus referre animus hanc, hoc corpus animus hanc...** "  
_

Davina stilled as the magic began to pulse in the air, and like every time someone went to visit Klaus on the other side, her heart ceased beating. This time, her body blinked in and out of existence as well.

Wind blew like a hurricane no matter where Davina stood, so she ventured towards Klaus, who was pressed against a wall in the manor, standing upright. Well, that's one thing Marcel won't have to teach him to do.

"Klaus Mikaelson!" She yelled over the roaring winds "I need to make sure Inadu is where we want her to be!"

She pointed her hands towards him and began to chant.

" _ **ostende mihi faciem tuam verum, ostende mihi faciem tuam verum, ostende mihi faciem tuam verum** " _A blue pin-prick of a light began to seep through Klaus's cheek, he screamed, raising in the air. Davina grabbed his ankle and yanked him down, he fell like a crumple paper to the floor but let her do her work. "ostende mihi faciem tuam verum, ostende mihi faciem tuam verum" She muttered. the light grew to cover half of Klaus's face, from hairline to below his chin.

"tu emotae, ab hoc exercitum, tu emotae, ab hoc exercitum" Davina chanted, her fingers tracing the edges of the blue light in midair, until the light ceased to shine from Klaus's face and floated as a ball of blue energy. She stared it down, and pushed it into the ground, effectively burying it.

"Why didn't you get taken by Inadu." Klaus asked warily.

"She was too weak to take me when I freed you from her. Burying her in the ground will give us time to get you out of here." Davina replied. Klaus began to stand on his feet and faced the little witch. He seemed stronger now that she'd seen him in days.

"Well, let's get out of here." Klaus murmured

"First, I need to do one more thing."

"You witches and your ridiculous rules." He snapped, looking away

"Those rules are going to keep you and your daughter safe, now shut up." Davina snapped in return. She put her hand over Klaus's heart, and hovered over the spot, fingers wiggling.

"hoc ipso manere debet." Davina said firmly. A beat of his heart and Klaus stumbled back. A shadow leaked from his form and also bled into the ground after the Hollow.

The faint voices of the four witches began to get louder, and the wind picked up again. Davina clasped Klaus's hands.

" _hoc corpus animus hanc."_ She said, then touched her pendant and she was gone.

Davina's body reappeared on the floor in the white circle, her heart beating wildly. The power from the four witches banding together gave her the permission to leave the circle without breaking it.

"Davina." She heard, and whirled around. Kol with his arms crossed.

"I'm sorry." Was all Davina said. She walked up to her husband and kissed him, then let his arms fold around her.

After the longest minute Caroline could remember, another figure appeared in the white circle. Crouched down, like the thinking man, only with no stump to secure his weight. The magic fell over him like waves, and Klaus Mikaelson stood up in the white circle, scanning the crowd of people. His eyes fell on Caroline's and she grinned, tears filling her eyes. He smiled in return.

"Factum est." Freya said and extinguished her candle.

"Factum est" Bonnie said, doing the same.

"Factum est" Vincent said.

"Factum est" Hope said, then clapped her flame out.

Klaus stood in the center of the circle, and for the first time in his life, he saw people cheering all around him. For him? Niklaus Mikaelson, the supernatural bump in the night? He smiled and snarled, feeling his vampire veins crawling around his eyes. The cheering ceased and Bonnie came to stand before him. Vincent joined her a moment later.

"The Bennett witch brings me back from the dead. I can't begin to explain away that irony." Klaus remarked. Bonnie ignored him and started chanting again, Vincent doing the same.

No light shone through his skin. No whispers filled his head. At least that was the good news.

"Factum est" Bonnie and Vincent said together. The crowd stayed where it was, but was openly hesitant in letting the hybrid from his cage. Bonnie turned to Caroline.

"Well the good news is, no more Hollow." She looked at Hope and smiled "You are safe and so is the rest of your family."

"What's the bad news?" Caroline asked, wanting to get it over with.

"While we were searching for Inadu, we discovered which part of Klaus was left on the other side. And there's no way we're getting it back."

"What part?" Caroline asked worriedly

"It was his humanity, Caroline. Klaus Mikaelson's humanity is gone. And we're not getting it back."


	4. In The

"I fail to see how this is a bad thing, I mean the humanity merely held me back." The British accent called over to them. Bonnie and Caroline looked over to him. One with distrust, one with utter love and devotion.

"You are a danger to your family with no humanity. To your daughter." Bonnie stated. Klaus shrugged and the crowd dissipated, a few slight gasps following the hybrid's response. Hope ran from the table and gripped Caroline's shoulder to prevent herself from going any farther towards her father.

"Dad?" She asked. Klaus blinked at her. "Do-do you remember, why Mom named me what she did?"

"It was because Elijah had said you were our family's hope. And if I recall, he took back those words."

"That's because he'd given up hope by then. The point is, I can be your hope. I can bring you back to yourself." Hope said, her eyes pleading with her father to say something parent-like. He sauntered over to the edge of the circle.

"I don't care about being saved, my daughter. I just want out of here." He hissed." Hope gasped and stepped back as if he slapped her, and Caroline grabbed Hope's arm to keep her from running.

"Klaus." Caroline snarled at him. Klaus blinked at her. "Knock it off. You're scaring your daughter."

"Why should I care," Klaus hissed at her. Caroline stood toe to toe before him, Bonnie now holding onto Hope.

"Because the part of you that wanted to be saved, would never want to hurt your daughter. I'm going to honor that Klaus Mikaelson's wishes and keep you in here, until you learn some manners." Caroline replied. Klaus raised his chin, his eyes still staying on hers, and she was reminded of the night he stated something very eerie. That she, young blonde cheerleader dating a werewolf like it was west side story, and Klaus Mikaelson the most feared being in supernatural history and certainly one of the longest living, were the same. She smiled to herself at the memory and congratulated herself on not losing a bit of who she'd been.

* * *

Caroline stood only feet from the confinement that was prepared for Klaus. He was conscious, in chains, and taunting anyone who came near him. First his son, until Marcel subtly brandished the pain dagger. Then his daughter for hoping to see a glimpse of the man who's called her princess and fed her beignets.

Bonnie came to Caroline and they both glanced at Klaus.

"We should've been more specific when we were cutting Inadu out." Bonnie stated. "Spent more time figuring out which part she was in, corralling her to a different part that wouldn't be as missed as it left."

"How do you know the Hollow wouldn't have caught on and just stayed where she was? From what everyone said about her she's powerful enough." Caroline protested

"What I don't get if why she chose the human side of him." Vincent piped up, joining the women. "His vampire and werewolf sides overcame his humanity centuries ago."

"Maybe because it was a building block of his, personality. What made him Klaus Mikaelson." Caroline suggested. "Rebekah told me the time she and her siblings were able to get through to him, was when he came a better, stronger person. Not just relishing torture and murder."

Vincent looked away, considering the possibility.

"If that's true then we brought back a physically weaker Klaus Mikaelson. And he's not good for anybody the way he is right now."  
"But how could we fix him? It's not like you could regrow humanity when it's in a murderous ancient maniac." Bonnie countered. Caroline looked at her.

"But what if we can, regrow it? Bring Klaus back the way he's been when he was just human and didn't even know he was a werewolf." She replied. Bonnie shrugged dubiously. Then Hope rounded the corner.

"Let's do it." She said. Caroline turned to the sixteen year old

"Hope, we can't ask you to do such a thing." She gestured to Hope's father "The way he is right now? You've read about what he's done, sure. You haven't seen it firsthand and he wouldn't want you to." Caroline protested.

"Actually I have. And that didn't stop me from loving him." Hope countered. "There's still some part of him that's my dad, and I'm going to get him back." She stared at Caroline in challenge. "With or without you."

Caroline sighed, looking away in distress then laying her eyes back on the baby hybrid.

"Of course I'll be there to help Klaus come back to himself. And I know you were never told, but I love him too. He loved me." Caroline looked at Klaus who was pretending not to hear anything. "And you're right, some part of him that made him a good person is still in there." She looked back at Hope. "You can help. But only if you're sure that's what you want."

Hope passed Caroline by and gripped one of the bars, one of the many blocks in place to hold him down.

"My uncle believed I'd be my family's hope. My mom believed in me so much she named me Hope." She turned to the three who were watching her and Klaus worriedly "It's about time I live up to my name."


	5. End As

**Okay this one's a bit slower than the rest, please have patience with me. Trying to figure out how I'm gonna bring Klaus's humanity back...still haven't gotten there yet.**

* * *

"He can't stay here."

Caroline turned around and looked at Vincent, at Marcel coming to join them.

"I know."

"People flocking to the Mikaelson manor like they're gonna see the messiah, and the huge amount of energy expelled that brought him back are sure signs Klaus Mikaelson is back and nobody would be stupid enough to ignore that." Vincent said.

"I know, okay? Just, I have things to take care of before we can move him anywhere."

"Where were you planning on taking him?" Marcel asked.

"I don't know! I've been so focused on bringing Klaus back...I didn't plan this far ahead." Caroline replied.

"I have a good idea." Bonnie piped up, entering the room. Enzo stepped out behind her. Caroline and the resurrected vampire gave eachother a courteous nod as a greeting. "Hope has something interesting in her room. Could give us the ideal location."

* * *

"You did, what?" A shout sounded in her room. Caroline looked outside quickly to make sure no one felt the need to provide assistance. She glared at the screen. Alaric had his arms crossed. All she'd asked was for him to bring the girls over so she could talk to him. Unfortunately the supernatural vine had been quicker in spreading news than she anticipated.

"Yes, I did." She replied.

"You brought the most dangerous being on the planet, back from the dead, and you want to talk to the girls." Alaric said. Caroline shot him a look.

"Careful with your next words, Rick." She snapped.

"Okay. If you're not back at the school in two days, I will dis-invite you from it." Alaric replied, uncrossing his arms and putting his hands on his hips. She stared at him owl-eyed

"There's no way I can get back there so soon. Just let me talk to the girls."

"No. I have lost too many people that I care about to lose them now that their surrogate mother has chosen Klaus Mikaelson over them." Alaric said. Caroline stared at him in disbelief. She shut the laptop in defiance and threw it against the wall. It shattered and pieces flew back at her. Caroline sighed. Alaric was definitely not right that she'd chosen Klaus over her daughters, but if Alaric chose to make good on his word and dis-invite her from the school, chances are he'd do the same with any of the vampires that helped bring Klaus back, and Klaus himself. Until he was a good person again Caroline didn't want to take the chance her girls could be in danger from him.

He didn't seem to care about anything. He'd seen Rebekah and taunted her about her weaknesses just like he'd always done. Taunted Marcel until the pain dagger was shoved in his chest for an hour. Taunted her, even. Caroline, the one that helped bring him back and had seen him as a monster before all this craziness happened.

Everything falling into place to bring Klaus back was the easy part, he was back now. Bringing him back to himself would be the extremely hard part.

* * *

"The house that Hope's mother died in?"

Bonnie looked at Caroline.

"What? Marcel told me. That and I was kind of there." Caroline said. Bonnie turned back to the map

"Well, Hope can build a stronger blocking spell than she did when she was being tracked by your students before." Bonnie replied.

"I don't know. I'm not sure Hope would be alright with pretty much living in the place Hayley died." Caroline debated.

"If it's to bring her dad back, I'm sure she'd be willing to do anything." Bonnie reasoned. Her best friend looked away "Although you should make sure she is in fact, alright with it." She added.

Rebekah joined them in Hope's room and shared a worried look with Caroline.

"So how are we gonna do this?" Bonnie asked. Klaus was still in his barred confinement. Everyone who wasn't helping trigger Klaus's humanity were in the process of leaving both for their own safety and for Klaus's. The more caring ones had left their contact information with Caroline or Vincent.

"Have you guys had to try and do this before?" Caroline asked

"Once, right after his ordeal with Aurora." Rebekah replied "Back then we didn't know we could turn our humanities off, and didn't know why Nik was being so cruel. Every one of us tried talking to him, because his picking a fight with us was making our travels and running from Mikael that much harder." She looked away.

"What?" Caroline asked

"Elijah was the one who brought Nik back." Rebekah replied. A pregnant silence hung over them for a while.

"What did he do?" Caroline asked

* * *

Hope used the barrier spell itself to knock Klaus out, something neither Bonnie nor Caroline knew was possible. With him knocked out, dismantling every protection and obstacle in place was much easier. Every object, candle and ingredient for future spells had either been thrown out or packed away, their destination the same place Hayley Marshall-Mikaelson had perished.

When the process was halfway finished, Caroline went to check on the original hybrid. He greeted her with a smug grin and vampire veins under his eyes.

"Here to pledge your allegiance to me, love?" He asked in a silky tone. She gave him a look.

"Just because you're back from the dead don't think you're getting away with being an asshole, Klaus." Caroline replied. He chuckled in a low tone

"You merely say such things because I am still caged." Klaus replied.

"Actually, no. You remember all those times I told you off when we were in Mystic Falls?"

"And when we were in Paris, cleaning up after my little mess." Klaus drawled. She gulped.

"Those times haven't changed. I might have more to lose now than I did before, but I'm still not afraid of you." Caroline said. She leaned closer to him. "You've known that since you saved my life the first time, Niklaus Mikaelson."

He snapped his teeth and lunged at her, the barrier spell still effective enough to keep him from slashing her face. She blinked and stood up, crossing her arms.

"You're gonna pay for that one."

Bonnie's footsteps echoed down the corridor that led to Klaus, both he and Caroline looked at the Bennett witch.

"We're nearly ready." She glanced at Klaus "All we really need to do is move him now."

Caroline nodded and was surprised to see Klaus's smug grin return.

"How do you suppose you'll get me out of here, before I slash you all to pieces?" He asked. Caroline's eyebrow rose in derision.

"Someone can break your stubborn hybrid neck. Or maybe your daughter has some tricks up her sleeve." Caroline turned to Hope, who appeared in the same place Bonnie stood. Hope hesitated, then stepped to the circle her father was being kept it. With one hand raised, she said a few words in latin, then closed her eyes, bringing her hands together to make a pyramid, fingers shaking as if too much power was between them.

A snap echoed and Caroline looked at Klaus, who was now effectively, incapacitated.


	6. Death Is

More than a thousand years of pain. Betrayal, dishonesty, cowardice. All to be dragged over broken glass and a part of myself left behind at the start. For what? Everyone must've learned by now the fearsome Klaus Mikaelson the Mad had died, parties and parades must've been thrown in light of the news. My brother is gone. And he's with the little wolf girl whose child will not cease in trying to see humanity in my eyes. Can't you have figured it out by now? I have no humanity. And I have no intention of seeking it out.

I'd been knocked out by the little wolf's child for who knows how long, and now the smells surrounding me are different, the light and sounds all different. This house was important at one point. But now I know not the importance of the fact Hope Mikaelson had lost her mother here. I am still caged by strong spells and under 24/7 guard, the blonde girl who I'd nearly killed a few times but saved was there, with the littlest wolf. The child still talks to me, but the blonde has become wise enough to not do so. She knows that will not bring me back. And what Klaus Mikaelson are they trying to bring back, exactly? The one who was tortured by Mikael, the weakling he'd hated, the one whose pain and misery spanned for centuries with no end in sight, all to be killed by the very thing he'd destroyed? That man was weak. And I have been born anew. When the time is right, and the spells, safeguards, are their weakest; I will roam free once more.

The third day into the third week here, the African American witch Vincent called each woman away one at a time to talk to them silently. He'd known my family's history for long enough, and he had safeguards in place so I couldn't hear a word that came from his spell-casting mouth. Pity, it would've been fun to thwart whatever plans they'd made. Now I'll just have to improvise.

This wait has become unbearable. The child's magic grows stronger rather than weaker, and the blonde woman. She gets a look in her eyes once in a while I feel uncomfortably with. Like I was someone caring about. Someone, worth staying with. I can't wait to get out of here, historians for centuries will call my jail break the epitome of cabin fever.

* * *

*two days earlier*

Vincent took Caroline outside, started a lawnmower and the two began to scheme.

"What we need to do is get past Klaus's defenses, I've been working with Davina and we learned about this potion your friend took a few decades back, made a whole case of the stuff."

"The potion Elena took to hallucinate Damon?" Caroline asked "That's got a bad side effect, namely lusting after more blood than usual which is the last thing Klaus should be wanting right now."

"It doesn't look like we've got more time to figure things out." Vincent replied "Gotta get Guardian Klaus back now."

"What are Rebekah and Freya doing?"

"Freya's trying to lead the werewolves and failing, she's having a better time with the human faction even though Declan just accidentally got offed by a vamp a few days back. Keelin's doing the real dirty work with the wolves, and they won't touch her since she's nearly about to pop from the baby. Rebekah is helping at your school."

"Wait, the Salvatore School?" Caroline shook her head and paced for a minute, coming back to the witch. "First, how on earth is she helping, second why is she able to cross the threshold?"

"Rebekah's the only immortal Mikaelson allowed on your campus, she gave Ric a list of names to keep away from your students, everyone's safe. And as to how she's helping, you'll have to ask Marcel." He replied. Caroline nodded.

"Okay. Klaus needs to hallucinate to be 'Guardian Klaus' again. Is that all the planning we've got?"

"It's a structured process, I'll guide you and Hope through it. The witches are working on more possibilities."

"You just said we're running out of time."

"The other plans are more drastic. Stuff Hope doesn't need to be seeing."

"Well let's hope it won't come to that."

* * *

He awoke and the circle was broken. Neither the child nor the blonde, their heartbeats or any other noises were to be heard. Candles all extinguished, the only light coming from the basement windows. Well give the hybrid a prize, he was free.

Klaus was out of the house and making his way across the seemingly endless green meadow before he'd heard a noise. Not a twig breaking or a rustle of grass. A heavy, dark breathing. Panting, as if to keep endless rage inside.

Mikael.

"Haven't you heard, old man?!" He shouted out, his arms spread wide "The only creature on this planet that can kill me, IS ME!" He roared, laughing at the echo that followed.

The older man stepped into Klaus's view. His greatest fear, greatest enemy and first enemy. And yet, Mikael had no affect on him now. He was no longer afraid of dying, he'd done it already. He was no longer afraid Mikael would kill his siblings, let him. Having a life cut free of humanity was so freeing.

Klaus crossed his arms and smiled widely at his foster father.

"Well, what've you come to say?" He asked. Mikael's jaw ground.

"You destroyed my family, whelp." Mikael seethed

"So what if I did, you and my mother are dead, meanwhile more of our family than none is still alive. That matters more than your petty revenge."

"You killed your own mother!" Mikael growled

"As I had done ten times over, each time sweeter than the first. The woman who let you raise me, the woman who let you beat me day and night." Klaus flashed forward, nose and nose with the man. "Now, we have both died. I do not care less how you are back, but if you intend to try and push some insipid white oak dagger into my chest, it will not change a thing."

"What are you implying"

"You had been tasked with ending my life for centuries. We got good at hiding from you, and not once did you succeed in ending the great and feared, Klaus Mikaelson. Klaus Mikaelson was the being who ended himself. You are a pathetic excuse of supernatural bounty hunter, Mikael." Klaus hissed. Mikael becoming at a loss for words, Klaus laughed and turned around, walking away. A sharp pain went through the hybrid's chest, and as always there was a yell of pain. And yet it was not as satisfying as it could've been.

Klaus stood stock-still in the circle, eyes dilated, mouth and words moving, yet completely paralyzed.

"How is he believing he's free and running when he hasn't moved a muscle?" Hope asked

"Davina added a touch of sleep paralysis to the potion." Vincent replied simply. Hope smiled, suddenly impressed all over again for her favorite aunt.

* * *

He awoke and the circle was broken. Neither the child nor the blonde, their heartbeats or any other noises were to be heard. Candles all extinguished, the only light coming from the basement windows. Well give the hybrid a prize, he was free.

Wait. Wait this already happened. Klaus looked around the room, seeing the details the same as before. It was possible the child and woman had simply abandoned their efforts and gave themselves enough time to escape before he was able to find them. What did they matter now? He knew he was out in the middle of nowhere.

Klaus walked up the steps to the main part of the tiny house slower this time, looking around. It had been burned in a few spots, merely scars on the concrete and the skeleton wood behind it. The wind blew outside, rustling the grass. Ah, that was different. The wind wasn't present last time.

"Nik." He heard his name.

"It's either Klaus or I keep your tongue, dear little sister." Klaus growled, spinning and catching Rebekah's throat in one hand. She gasped but didn't fight the hold, her nearly platinum hair falling over his arm. He looked his little sister over, and saw a simple gold band on her wedding finger.

"The boy we took in a few centuries ago. Marcel." Klaus guessed. Rebekah didn't move in reply, and with Klaus's hold disappearing as fast as it came she set back on her feet as if stepping out of a car.

"Yes, Marcellus. We married a few months after you...you passed away." She replied.

"The wedding must've been very festive, everyone in white. Except the bride would be in red, I expect." Klaus sneered "As you are no longer the pure little bride you dreamed of being since a child."

"When Marcel and I married, we were so happy that you hadn't been there to stop us. I kept worrying you would turn up at some point and snap his neck, or take my heart."

"Would that've been a decent wedding present?" Klaus replied innocently. Rebekah blinked.

"Marcellus is a better man than you had ever been. Especially now." She pressed. Her older brother narrowed his eyes at her.

"What of it?" He asked in a bored tone. Rebekah shook her head. "If I cared enough to stop you and the boy from eloping, I would've ripped his heart from his chest the minute we had met him."

The one thing he'd never expected his little sister to do, was slap him so hard he had to catch his balance again. The stinging lasted maybe a few seconds, he rubbed the little tingle left behind away with one hand. Staring at Rebekah, he smiled.

"Now that's more like it." He laughed.

"Brother." Another voice sounded. Klaus blinked and heard sure, confident footsteps coming up into the house.

"Kol." Klaus greeted sullenly. "What on earth are you here to annoy me about now."

"Well, I've come to tell you that Bekah and I are planning on keeping you in that little circle the rest of your supernatural life." Kol replied simply. "If you remember my wife is a very powerful witch. She can certainly keep you locked up, stir crazy, unable to rip anyone apart. Unable to stop any of us from leaving you, one...by...one." The youngest Mikaelson brother added, stepping to invade Klaus's personal space. Klaus cocked his head to the side.

"Am I supposed to care if you abandon me as quickly as you've appeared before me?" Klaus asked "I've been without family for many a month now. I feel quite liberated by the fact I don't have to keep killing Rebekah's undeserving paramours, and locking your rebellious imbecility in your favorite little coffin. Actually, Mikael tried to kill me again yesterday. And I couldn't have cared less. Just as I don't care, about either of you." He replied. Rebekah backed up and Kol snapped Klaus's neck in a fit of rage.

Then everything, as before, went black.

"I honestly thought one of us would get a little spark of the old Nik back." Rebekah said, standing beside Caroline and Vincent with the hybrid knocked out by magically-induced snap of the neck.

"So did I. It appears his humanity will not return." Kol replied, looking at his niece. Hope shook her head.

"No, that can't be true." Hope replied.

"Think about it." Caroline said gently "Bonnie and the others did an impeccable job cutting Klaus's humanity out. Now Inadu won't ever be able to use him as a gateway back."

"While that is true, we need Nik back. This Niklaus, this is one I've never truly known. The one that was buried, none of our family had ever encountered it." Rebekah replied. She looked at Caroline. "There has only been one person who's gotten through to him when he was beyond saving."

Caroline blinked.

"I'm not sure we're ready to do that yet." She turned to Hope. "You're his daughter. If anyone can plant a seed of humanity back into that hybrid, it's you."

"Why...why me?"

"Because he loved you enough to keep you from all harms way, no matter what the cost. And you said when he'd tried to say goodbye he would always love you. That's the Klaus that you're getting back, and the one we can get back." Caroline replied

"Nik had told Elijah once, that he wouldn't survive loving his own daughter." Rebekah added. Hope stared at her aunt, then looked at his father's other great love.

"How, how do we do this?" She asked nervously.


	7. Only The

Hayley was screaming. Screaming as if her life depended on it, as it had. The teenage witches, along with Genevieve, were about to murder his newborn daughter. Five seconds of life was all they'd allow her. If he had known Esther was behind this travesty, he would've killed them all without a second thought. His daughter deserved a better way to come into the world than this.

Pinned to the church wall by the teen's magic, the teen who had once apparently been Davina Claire's friend. Now she was fully the ancestor's emissary, and nothing would stop her. Not even him.

His newborn emerged from Hayley, bloody and dark pink yet quiet, unknowing of the dangers she was surrounded with.

"Can I hold her?" Hayley asked. After hesitation they'd placed the little girl in her mother's arms, and Hayley's eyes connected with mine. What a way to emerge into the world, her parents covered in blood, kept from protecting her. In a moment, the witches slipped the infant from Hayley's arms, and slashed the woman's throat deep, she choked on her blood for only a moment, before he stopped hearing her heart beat.

He would kill them all.

* * *

They'd learned about the wolves too late, when Marcel's men had died, splayed around the manor haphazardly. The only one still conscious, still aware of their surroundings, was his son. Marcellus. In his arms, his father's newborn daughter.

"I don't deserve your mercy, Klaus." Marcel said. Klaus clasped his sons' shoulder with one hand, the man looking up to him.

"I insist. You saved her, I owe you for that." Klaus replied. Marcel took Klaus's blood into his mouth in guilt, about to cry with the little girl still in his arms.

With Marcel now cured and healing, he handed the newborn to her father. Klaus took her hesitantly, as gently as he could. She looked up at him, tired eyes staring up at him from under her swaddling.

"Hi." He greeted in awe, hoping his face right then wasn't going to scare her out of her exhaustion. He hoped he showed reverence, as he'd felt it as surely as he knew this little girl was his daughter.

And it broke his heart to have to watch her go away, even if it was with Rebekah.

* * *

The Klaus that had stood stock-still in the center of his circle unmoving, now muttered a single groan. Caroline took a step closer and realized...his eyes were fogging.

"It's working, we need more."

"How much more would we be able to use? Dad wasn't around for that long, and every other time something big happened with me it was either the Hollow or mom." Hope replied.

"There has to be something. Some other good memory you know your dad would treasure?" Caroline asked, starting towards her. Hope looked away.

"There is one memory."

* * *

She had been sick for a few days, his little girl. Unable to wake up, plagued by fevers. And the Hollow preying on her power, power she barely knew how to control thanks to his oldest sister being incapacitated for much of her childhood. She had woken up when he was not with her, his little Hope. But fortunately Freya had been there. And now he was fulfilling his promise.

 _When you get better, we are going to eat the biggest plate of beignets you've ever seen._

And he'd delivered much more. A table piled high with every kind of beignet. And he had hand-fed her her first one.

He'd told her of their origin. And of the importance of the Mikaelsons to the Quarter in every time of New Orleans. He'd called her a princess, had had never seen the littlest Mikaelson so overjoyed.

Paralyzed Klaus breathed a laugh, but nothing else happened. Caroline nodded to herself about the new information and began pacing.

"Okay, it's time to bring out the big guns."

* * *

"Are you going to kill me?" Her panicked ill voice squeaked from underneath the blankets covering the hybrid bite he'd compelled Tyler to give.

"On your birthday?" He asked incredulously. "You really think that low of me?" Klaus added after a heavy pause.

"Yes." Caroline said after a bit of hesitation. Angry at him, for she knew he did this. She was dying because of him.

"And I could let you, die." Klaus said softly, sat on her bed, leaned towards her. "If that's what you want." He added in explanation. She'd stared at him with growing rage for his first words and somehow, her being wrathful towards him was a sensation he could not tolerate.

"I don't wanna die." Caroline replied, her tone about to break into a sob. No pleading for her life, no asking to be of service in exchange for salvation. Curious, as he'd hardly met a handful of people throughout his life with such bravery.

She knew he felt something there, fingers trembling at his sides, eyes blinking fast. A small smile grew on his face, and Caroline knew she had to drive it home.

The reigning Miss Mystic Falls was radiant, under the lights, in the blue ballgown he'd sent to her. He cherished beauty, and offered it to her on her first deathbed. And she gave such bewildering beauty to him, whether she knew it or not, a she searched the room for him with subtlety. Words could not express the masterpiece before him, as he walked towards her.

She'd brushed past him after his greeting, curiously he did not mind her action. In a room full of people, some who were his enemies and searching as always, for a weak spot. He did not mind that she'd intended to embarrass him. She was far too mesmerizing, for him to care about much else but getting at least one dance.

Paralyzed Klaus breathed another laugh, his smile more carefree. But she wasn't through the full night's memory.

They'd danced, she'd been perfect. He made conversation with her as best he could while she snapped at him like the fierce woman she was appearing to be.

She went outside into the cold air, holding the cover over her shoulders to pretend the cold still bothered her. He pointblank told her the reason he'd wanted her there, and curiously she didn't believe him. The beautiful, smart, strong woman before him who had never let him weaken her, even as she knew she was dying. Such a feat in one so young, she knew what he was capable of and she didn't show an ounce of fear. But the fact that he liked her for her, was a baffling concept to the blonde vampire. Such a travesty that he was the only one that saw who and what she was, could really be. He didn't realize how exceptionally truthful that thought was, over the years he kept pursuing her. All the boys she loved had put someone else above her, even till the end of their own lives.

He had been the only one that gave her the freedom and showed his true feelings through actions. He was the only one she'd never been able to say she cared for, because of all he'd done.

He brought her to the room in his house, where he stored all his paintings and drawings. Well, most of them in any case. And she did not feel flattered when he'd complimented her again. Their banter turned into harsh words, and the young vampire who kept surprising him, got the last word.

Such a bewildering woman.

Paralyzed Klaus blinked and smiled. His eyes scanned the room as they'd done for weeks, only this time was different. He wasn't looking for weak spots in magic, or the window to begin to taunt his captors. Hope and Caroline shifted from their positions closely staring at him, staring back at him.

"Caroline." He greeted. The smile wasn't fully Klaus, though. Something was a bit different. But not in a bad way. He looked at his daughter.

"Hope." He said, a frog in his throat. Hope hurried to break the spell binding him and rushed into his arms. Caroline smiled at the reunion, debating whether or not to call Vincent right then.

"Caroline." Klaus said again. She smiled back at him and as Hope took a step back, Caroline hesitantly walked to him, and slowly embraced him. His arms around her, his chin digging into her shoulder. She smiled at the sensation. Then pulled back.

"This isn't..." She began to say. He nodded, understanding her meaning. She smiled at that, at least. That had not changed. Klaus Mikaelson still knew her mind as well as he'd known his.

"What?" Hope asked, stepping towards them.

"I think..." Caroline began. She glanced at Klaus and Hope. "Klaus's humanity is there, yes. But I don't think...I don't think all of it is there."

"Like, we regrew it?" Hope asked dubiously "We already knew that was going to happen."

"Yes, but what he had before. There isn't as much...as there'd been before." Caroline replied, shaking her head. "That is too confusing to explain. Suffice it to say we're not quite done yet. We just got past the hardest part."


	8. Beginning

Rebekah POV

It took a few more weeks to 'regrow Nik's humanity fully', like a flower coming to fruition. But I knew it had worked when I awoke one morning, Marcel was gone from our bed but a present from Nik was in the threshold. A bouquet of my favorite flowers, in a beautiful purple vase.

'Course the regrowing of my brother's humanity had taken longer than predicted, now that he knew when the magical episodes were coming and how to identify them as they occurred. Nonetheless, he spent his first night in his own bed two nights ago. Caroling keeping me updated, she slept on a couch not far from his voice. We all knew what the next problem to be solved would be.

The nightmares began. The baby vampire Nik had fallen for decades ago and now my own friend, was the only one able to console him. Me he shunned, in his fever-dream state believing me to have abandoned him again for a love of my own. No one else knew his nightmares as well as Caroline and I. Though I don't think Hope was happy about that revelation. She spurned Caroline daily when the poor woman only tried to make conversation and tell her of her father. If I'd loved my father, I might understand her spite. Or perhaps it was out of loyalty to her mother that she dared not let Caroline in. The love my brother reunited with and the woman who helped save this family many times over. I will be eternally grateful to Hayley Marshall. She was a true Mikaelson. But so is Caroline.

There had been times when people threatened to tell the world my brother was weak enough to be killed yet again, out of vengeance for something that one of us had done to them recently, and Caroline took no time in threatening that person in return. Hand to the throat, pinning them against some wall or tree, hissing they'd be sorry they ever heard the name Klaus Mikaelson, or Caroline Forbes, if they ever were to breathe a word. Some of the braver ones questioned her ability to have such control over their actions.

Little did they know the school she and the former vampire Alaric Saltzman, had constructed over the last decade had given them a supernatural grapevine, and gracious help that kept them always in the loop and always given help should they need it. Caroline used that to her advantage, everytime someone decided to test her. They wouldn't be killed, unlike my brother's knee-jerk reaction. They'd be kept prisoner for days, the right people compelled, the right places kept empty or full. After a while her updates about such matters grew very complicated for me. Suffice it to say, she was a lot like her suitor my brother. Except she was a bit scarier.

* * *

Caroline

The second night Klaus woke up screaming, I was the last person in the room despite being the one with vampire speed. Klaus was being cradled, rocked until his pained moans faded as they always did. He looked at his comforter, Hope. And smiled, hugging her in gratitude, kissing her forehead.

"Now, you should be in bed sweetheart." Klaus said gently, cradling the side of her face. Hope shook her head.

"I don't need to right this second, I want to stay a little longer." She replied defiantly, glancing at me. Whenever my girls defied me just because they wanted to hurt me, it sent the same pain shooting through me that Hope's glance did. I still came to his bed and sat on the other side of him, waiting. Hope glared at me when I stayed for another minute.

"Hope," Klaus began before she could lash out at me again "tell me, what've you been up to?" He asked.

"I started working on another painting. When you came back I stopped." She replied. He looked at her with worry

"Why?"

"Because it's the kind of painting a depressed person would make. You're back. I don't have a reason to be depressed anymore." Hope said. Klaus smiled at her and hugged her again.

"You know what, love." Klaus replied "I'll always be here. Now, you'll see me tomorrow, after you've gotten rest. I know for a fact it's way past your bedtime." Hope rolled her eyes

"I'm too old for bedtimes."

"Your mother would beg to differ. Off with you." Klaus replied with humor in his voice. Hope reluctantly stood and glared at me again while she passed, leaving the door open when she left. I sighed.

"Whatever vexes her she will confide soon enough, beautiful Caroline." Klaus told me. I blinked.

"What did you say?" I laughed.

"What, am I not allowed to call you that? How about 'my beautiful Caroline'?" He teased

"Stop, please." I laughed harder, then Hope's lashing out disappeared from my mind. "I'd much rather my boyfriend just call me love like he always has." I said, giving him a flirtatious look. His eyebrows rose.

"Boyfriend?" He asked, the inflection on the word much different than the last time he'd used it. The word sounded so wonderful now.

"I helped bring you back from the dead, we're practically engaged." I teased, my face reddening as soon as the words came out. He laughed and I joined him, hoping he wouldn't go further with the conversation. Thankfully my Klaus still knew when to let things lie.

* * *

Kol POV

Klaus is different now, since his humanity is back. Davina worries Inadu will find a way back through him, whether my brother's a different man or not.

In the past centuries, I don't recall many times I've seen Klaus smiling with such mirth, playing with Rebekah, giving the women gifts. And these gifts weren't severed body parts, his mirth didn't stem from utter violence. It was like Klaus's reset button had been pushed. His only difference between our human years and now was his haircut. With no Mikael to fear in all the waking hours, there should be no quick reason for my older brother to become a paranoid hybrid again. Save for missing Elijah.

In our human years, Klaus vied for Tatia's affection, along with Elijah. Now, no obstacle was between him and the woman he'd loved for apparently decades. Caroline Elizabeth Forbes, as Klaus was proud to croon from time to time. His complete admiration and respect for the blonde vampire made Davina and I a mite jealous we weren't the most loving couple in the household anymore. Caroline remembered my past discretions in her hometown, and so had hardly spoken to me. But when Mikaelson is inevitably tacked onto her prim and proper title, she'll come to understand I'm not the bitter and outraged homicidal lunatic I once was.

* * *

Caroline

It's like I'm in love with a different person. Klaus doesn't need as much reigning in against his violent impulses. Although he hasn't had really any reason to lash out recently, we've mostly been laying low and enjoying the fact that he's back and we're all safe again. But Klaus...he's so sweet now. Every morning that I get up he's left a note by my door;

'My Sweet Caroline,  
Never once have I imagined such freedom.  
Now I have the rest of eternity once more  
To see, hear and love all of you.'

I started collecting them in this translucent candy box I happened to have brought with me from mother's day years ago. The letters are all open so I can keep the notes open, stare at the words for as long as I want to, replay his words like it's him saying it in my ear. The loving words he's not failed to give me since he'd become different. I didn't care that he forgot my objection to 'beautiful Caroline';

'Beautiful Caroline,  
I keep you in my thoughts every hour  
I hope to fulfill my promise at last, love  
Showing you the beauty of the world I have seen.'

I was relieved to know he also gave fatherly notes to Hope as much as he gave notes to me. Some of his notes to me had little 'p.s's, assuring me her cold demeanor wasn't in rebellion towards me. Although I'm not sure how he could know that.


	9. How Wonderful

Sorry guys, I know you love the angst and all that but I've waited five years least for my klaroline, Ima put them together for as long as I possibly can. Fluff ahead. (not immediately mind you, but it's in here)

also for the comment about Freelin's baby - Anis is named after Anis Mojgani who wrote Shake the Dust, so that ain't changing.

* * *

Keelin's due date was tomorrow. They knew they were having a boy, Vincent's son, and were planning on naming him Anis. Anis, Sinclair Mikaelson. It seemed like nobody born a thousand years ago ever heard of middle names. But then, mine was Elizabeth.  
Rebekah had compelled a luxurious hospital room for Keelin, the baby's room was all ready for the couple and would be should when they brought the boy home. All that remained was to actually have the baby.

Rebekah went a little overboard preparing for Anis's arrival, although Freya loved her sister's devotion to the project. Anis's name was put on practically everything the little one would own, doctor's appointments to ensure his health and the mother's as well were lined up two years in advance. Davina and Hope had promised to be babysitters when no one else would be available, though Vincent would almost certainly not let that happen. Freya surprised Kol with the gift of being named godfather, and he immediately went off to get Anis several beautiful things and heirlooms. When Klaus and I were asked if we would be there, we immediately set a scheme in motion the mothers and father would never forget.

* * *

Seven o'clock in the morning, Caroline had been up for two hours and grading some papers she'd still had and needed finished. She could heard Davina walking around the house and watering the plants that had been placed around, making the manor seem less like a convent. The only drawback to this was Klaus would discreetly pluck petals from the flowers that bloomed, and Davina would only learn so when he revealed a new painting to his family. Caroline never minded the little discord. Most of those paintings Klaus had explained to her, and a few were now hers to keep.

Then Keelin screamed as if she'd been shot. Everyone woke up at that noise, and came to her and Freya's room as soon as they could. Blood covered the bedsheets, and Marcel scooped Keelin from the bed.

"The baby's fine." Kol said, confirming with Rebekah and Caroline.

"Then why is my wife covered in blood?!" Freya demanded, fidgeting with Keelin's nightgown and brushing her hair from her face.  
"We'll learn why when we get to the hospital." Rebekah announced. She turned to Kol. "Drive."

It was as if a government agent was being moved from one hideout to the other, the amounts of cars that followed Keelin to the hospital. Klaus and Caroline were in the back of the parade, their surprise in the back of the car. Hope, Marcel and Rebekah were ahead of them. Two more cars, Vincent's and Keelin's were driving along. Caroline just hoped Keelin would be alright. She looked at Klaus.

"Do you have any idea why that happened?" She asked

"I wish I knew, love. Then I'd be able to help. Our newest Mikaelson's parents must be brave until we know for sure." Klaus replied. Caroline looked ahead, as if she'd be able to see Keelin through the several windshields blocking them. Then she felt his warm hand over hers. She looked at him, and Klaus held her eyes until he had to tear his away, his hand still over hers. She took comfort in the warmth, and the feeling until they were parked in the hospital's parking lot.

* * *

Keelin was rushed into the hospital, although pregnant women always were. Orderlies gripped the stretcher tight and the Mikaelsons called out words of assurance and love until they were no longer able to see the african american woman.

"Anis was the reason Keelin almost died?" Freya demanded

"Not your son as much as his supernatural DNA. Your own contriution to Keelin's pregnancy included your strength in magic." Davina replied. "Anis will be the next most powerful witch in the world."

"More powerful than Hope?"

"Ten times as powerful. Your aunt Dahlia promised this at the beginning, you said. Magic doesn't lie."

"Oh dear" Freya sighed "So my son is a repressed werewolf and the most powerful witch in the world. What more could Keelin and I have to worry about?"

"Well, there's how he'll react to your family's history and who's married to who." Marcel replied. Freya gave him a look and they shared a laugh. The nurse then gave the baby boy to Freya.

Keelin grinned as her wife brought Anis to her outstretched arms, the boy wriggling in his baby blanket.

"It won't take long for him to open his eyes." Caroline offered brightly, Keelin looked up at her.

"Hope so. I want to see whose eyes he got." She joked. the new mother looked around the room at the family she'd become a part of a decade ago. Klaus back from the dead; who else could say that big bad original hybrid was her freaking brother in law; head of the family with Caroline on his arm as if he was the one in charge of the whole world. Rebekah cuddled into Marcel's arm, trying not to ask to hold Keelin's son. Kol taking a moment to tease his wife and Freya rolling her eyes at her baby brother.

Hope at the front of the bed. That kid had been through more than her fair share of pain. If it took burning down the world building by building, Keelin would keep Anis safe and happy, with his parents, always. And always knowing he's loved, given hope for his young life. Anis would be the most healthy Mikaelson born into the family for centuries.

* * *

The Mikaelsons gave the new parents time with the baby in leaving the room, waiting for a second confirmation that Anis was perfectly alright. Caroline found herself going to the newborn wing, watching sleeping and waking little people.

Two warm hands rest on her arms and she smiled at the man behind her.

"When you first met your daughters, how did it feel?" Klaus asked. She shrugged and his hands fell to her waist.

"Like I was getting a second chance. The girls needed a mother. And I always thought I would have children. We fit together perfectly. And you helped me embrace that." Caroline said, biting her lip in a smile and glancing at his mouth.

Klaus gently turned her to face him, meeting her halfway, and rested a finger under her chin to kiss her. Caroline ended the kiss with the smile jumping back onto her lips.

"I never thanked you for that by the way." Caroline added, meeting his eyes. He smiled in return.

"You're certainly more than welcome, love. You deserved to have that happiness in your life. Much had happened with you and your friends then, did they not?"

"You mean you knew about Elena and everybody?" She asked

"Of course, love. I know everything." Klaus replied, earning a snide chuckle. "That and I wanted to ensure your safety. Knowing all the variables, ones you could not control and the ones you could, made things easier."

"I wasn't able to control a lot of it." Caroline admitted, looking away.

"And yet you pulled through every tricky and dangerous situation with class and elegance." He said, still smiling. She could see how proud he was of her right then, and felt fortunate that she couldn't say goodbye. She never wanted to have to say goodbye, ever again.


	10. Life is, Now

Caroline had known for years that Klaus loved her. The years that passed by, without him showing back up in Mystic Falls for whatever reason, the demonstrations of devotion to her when something in her life happened.

Her mother's funeral. Flowers and a check sent for her to decide whatever coffin she wanted for her mother. That was something she wouldn't ever forget. His assurance of the validity of Caroline's love for Josie and Lizzie. And even now, she knew if she said she had to leave for whatever reason, Klaus wouldn't try to make her stay. Not even this new Klaus. But she didn't want to. Ever again.

"You want to what?" Alaric asked over Face time.

"I want to open a Salvatore School in New Orleans. The plan has worked amazingly in Mystic Falls, and the Quarter is a miasma of supernatural people. They need help as well"

"That's why you have them sent to the school, Caroline. Setting up a franchise of supernatural schools? That won't end well"

"Oh so you've been taking hits of that psychic powder Elena ingested?" Caroline replied dryly. Alaric sighed in frustration. "Look, we'll do a trial run. Five months. If something bad enough happens, or not enough people register, then I'll forget about the idea."

"And if it does fail? Will you come back?" Alaric asked. Caroline looked away. "The girls miss you terribly, Care. And I only use the word 'terribly' because Lizzie is acting out, worse than I've ever seen. She needs you to come back."

"Look, send the girls to New Orleans by the end of the week. I'll have them here while the trial's running."

Alaric stared back at her, considering.

"I'll send them. If they want to come back though, they're coming back." He stated, then closed the laptop. Caroline sighed on her own end and closed it. Then she heard a throat clear in the doorway. She smiled.

"What do you think?" She asked, turning around to see Klaus with his arms crossed, leaning on the doorway. He smiled back and her and offered his hand. She stood.

"I think, of all the paths I imagined you ever taking, this is nobler than I could've fathomed." He quoted, grinning. Caroline enveloped him in her arms and pulled back, deeply kissing him.

He inhaled her scent, taking a long strand of her blonde hair between two fingers, rubbing them against his skin. Klaus took a firmer hold on her body, walking them backwards into her room and closing the door. Their kisses continued, accompanied by giggles and some clothes taken off. Caroline fell back on the foot of the bed, her over shirt on the floor, and soon so was Klaus's shirt. He laughed as he tried to pick her up from her rear and only ended up tearing her skirt, earning a playful glare. She ripped the skirt off and he followed her fully onto the bed.

Their lips began to breeze over each other, her neck, his chest, clothed body parts and bare. When Caroline's hand accidentally brushed over his bottom, they froze, staring at each other. They hadn't shared such intimacy since he was first alive. She held his face in one hand, sliding the other down his torso to his hip, and buried her hand into the back pocket. Klaus laid a slow kiss to her forehead, then her nose, and cheek.

There was a knock on the door. Caroline sighed and let her head rest on the pillow, keeping her hand in his back pocket. Another knock.

"Dad? Aunt Freya wants you to look after Anis for a minute."


	11. You're In

**okay people, _now_ it's done. Enjoy 3**

* * *

Klaus and Caroline both went to look after Anis, smiling in turns at the adorable cocoa-skin child, and playing with his hands and feet.

"Look, I lied to you before," she started. Klaus's eyes snapped back to her, replaying all the things she'd said since they first reunited. _I'll never forget you?...You're being a good person?...I love you?..._

"Before, when I told you you terrified me." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"I knew you weren't ever scared of me, love. One of the many reasons I fell in love with you."

"Yeah, but you need to know why." Klaus leaned back and gestured for her to go on. She smiled at the little action. That was old Klaus. He was coming back.

"I knew at some point, whether we found Hope after that drive or not, you would've come back to Mystic Falls." His eyebrows rose. "It was my way of making you subconsciously act less threatening when I was around." He chuckled.

Took a page of manipulation from my book," he wowed. Sadness and fear sparked behind her eyes. "Don't worry, Caroline. I know you did it for your daughters. And because of Alaric."

"Alaric?" She asked in surprise. Klaus looked at her.

"The father of your children seemed very controlling last I saw him."

"Well of course he was, because all of his loved ones had been killed supernaturally. And you're like, the beacon of it. Alaric did get pretty pissed when I told him I helped bring you back."

"I haven't properly thanked you and the others for doing such a dangerous thing. I must think about how to remedy that." Klaus grinned wickedly at her and she giggled.

"I'm not going to argue the validity of his actions. But if you'd pardon my saying so, you've a turbulent relationship history with men." He added, earning a look.

"Everybody had me as a backup. Except Tyler. But a peaceful vampire and a werewolf wouldn't have ended well anyway."

"I'm sorry, love." She slowly grinned at him and took his hand.

"That's okay. I have you. That's all I need," she replied.

"And the girls" they said together and laughed. "I swear to you," Klaus took her other hand as well. "I will never, break another promise to you."

"You did it for Hope. Though now I can say to your refreshingly alive face that it was a dumbass decision, you know I would've done the same," Caroline replied.

"You're amazing" he approved, and kissed her.

* * *

Everything was just...perfect. Everyone was happy, and in love...all the kids were content and doting on by their loving parents...Caroline hadn't felt so fortunate to be a part of such a family since learning Bonnie and Enzo had their son, Daniel. Which set her mind to work on another possibility.

"Bring Bonnie and Elena to the Quarter" Klaus repeated her suggested statement. "I assume with their husbands and children?"

"Well, yeah" she replied. She was expecting more resistance than a smile.

"Are you sure you want to put your friends in such danger? As you've said before, myself and my family are a beacon of the supernatural."

"I can protect them if I have to, and maybe Hope or Freya or somebody could put up a spell to protect them if I can't..." She trailed off, deep in her thoughts again. What about the children? What if Daniel didn't like the schools around here? What if Elena couldn't find a suitable practice? Would everyone just go back? She stopped her pacing when Klaus's warm hands rested back on her arms. She met his adoring eyes.

"I love, this idea, Caroline. Adore it, in fact. And we both know why you're wanting to make such a huge move with your friends to here. They will try their best with the Quarter. Everything will continue to be perfect." Klaus smiled again and kissed her, holding her tightly. As he breathed in her scent which was a favorite pastime of his, he thought about why she was wanting to do this. Because, she wanted to make the Quarter her home. And how better to move forward with such a plan than to bring her family here? Her daughters were her slight-biological family. But Elena and Bonnie were her sisters when she never was blessed with siblings. Daniel, young Bonnie Salvatore, Robert-Alaric, Miranda were Caroline's nieces and nephews. Damon and Enzo her brothers in law. If she would never again have an opportunity for blood family, she already had her adopted family.

Klaus kissed her, and became aroused from her happy moan against his lips. Clothes came off faster than they did their first time, the bed a disheveled mess as was their hair. But when Caroline looked at him and they looked at their surroundings, all they did was laugh, put the bed right, and hold each other under the covers until they were called on for something new.

There was a knock on the door an hour later, and a hybrid handed Caroline a phone. Josie was telling them they were on their way.

* * *

"I can't believe Alaric didn't push the issue some more" Caroline wowed, busily organizing, cleaning with the other hybrids. "I mean when I first told him I brought you back he threatened to dis-invite me from the school."

"I suppose it's good fortune he changed his mind. Or that someone changed it for him" Klaus agreed, handing her things to store in a nearby cupboard.

"I want to have everything ready when they get here. They have completely different tastes in things now."

"A known characteristic of older twins" Klaus replied.

"Josie is like a fixture of the school, she wears the uniform to the letter and is completely organized. Lizzie on the other hand, she's the rebellious one."

"Black makeup, sharp attitude, messy room, hardly does her homework" Klaus guessed

"Well, Josie usually persuades her to do it. And the thing is, Liz is so smart, if she does the homework she always does it perfectly. I've given her challenge on challenge, she always succeeds them."

"Just like her mother." Caroline grinned at him.

"Perhaps you should have her I.Q tested, possibly enroll her in a high-class college."

"We're pretty much a college ourselves; and Alaric would lose his mind if Lizzie went so far away where he couldn't protect her."

"Compel her a bodyguard?" Klaus suggested

"I thought of that, yeah. Liz doesn't want one and threatened to hurt them if she found out I didn't listen to her."

"Okay, veil the compelled bodyguard" he said. Caroline breathed a laugh.

"That's a bit much, don't you think? All that trouble when she could just stay home where she's safe?"

"Not if she's not happy there. Sooner or later she'll find a way to make happiness for herself, whether it be at home or somewhere a million miles away" Klaus countered. Caroline looked away, considering.

"I'll have to think about it." She clapped suddenly and grinned at him again. "Gotta text Bon and Elena, ask them to come here!" She danced away, leaving Klaus with a kiss on his cheek and a dopish grin on his face, dancing away himself to another part of the house.


	12. The World

New chapter! Especially for those who've left reviews. Thank you BellaLeigh for so many reviews, I got drunk on the writer's ego after that.

* * *

All she wanted to do was lay there, in his arms. But the sunlight was scorching her even with her daylight ring on. And her phone had been ringing off the hook for a few minutes now. Klaus looked so peaceful and beautiful, still asleep with an arm across her waist. She tried as hard as she could not to disturb him as she reached carefully for the buzzing phone.

Three missed calls from Josie, about ten text messages from Lizzie. Seemed they were arguing about what to bring while they stayed here in New Orleans with her. Usually the thought of her girls fighting made her annoyed, but this time, it was the reminder that the ones she loved would all come to the place her heart lay.

Klaus's arm slowly tightened around her waist and she grinned over her shoulder at him. His stubble grazed her bare arm as he gestured to her phone.

"What's the situation?"

"No big deal, but the girls are packing to come here" Caroline replied, giggling a bit to let her mirth escape. She turned back to her phone and he pecked her on the cheek.


End file.
